'63 4000 4cyl Gas - Wiring Woes

[stateofidleness]

Hi all.. I'm drowning in different wiring diagrams and kinda lost...

Here's what I have:
- 2 position key switch
- 4-pole isolated ground solenoid
- 1 wire? alternator (has an additional wire for "excite" i think?)
- Still using neutral safety switch
- 12v converted with neg ground

Current wiring is:
- 1 side of key switch has:
- key to a terminal block that has "S" from solenoid, ignition coil positive
- Lights and other gauge power
- Other side of key switch has:
- key to a terminal block that has smaller of the two alternator wires

Big alternator wire and big battery positive wire to left side of solenoid. Other side of solenoid goes to starter positive.

Neutral safety switch goes to "i" terminal on solenoid.

I'm not really sure how the key switch itself gets power. I tried a wire from battery positive to either side of switch, but seems like this would keep the lights "on" and drain the battery.

 

[michford]

I used this article linked below to wire up two Ford tractors and it works perfect. I also used a Napa marine grade alternator so I don't have to rev up the engine to start the alternator charging.

https://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/pages/artint243/

Here is the alternator, solenoid, and coil I used.

 

[stateofidleness]

Thanks, ill give that a shot! This may be a dumb question, when it says "switched side of the key switch (i.e. the side that only gets power when the key switch is on)", does this imply that the two terminals on the on/off switch are not interchangeable and that one of them is positive and one is negative?

Also is point 3 under the wiring referring to "BAT" on the alternator?

I'm also a little confused with my alternator. I have, effectively, 2 wires coming from it, one large one, and 1 smaller diameter one. Is that correct?

 

[michford]

The key switch is simply a connector closing a circuit and energizing the coil. The attached wiring diagram shows how the key switch completes the circuit of the wires separated by a junction block.
For a one wire alternator, remove the short connector wire on the alternator itself and the small wire from your alternator, you only need the large wire at the bat terminal of the alternator. Your alternator looks like it is currently wired as a three wire version. I've never wired one that way so I can't help you there.

 

[stateofidleness]

Ah ok gotcha. I think I have the start pb going to the "i" terminal right now instead of the "s" terminal on solenoid. I'll have to change that.

With this setup, that means that when the key is "on", all my accessories are also on unless I wire in an additional button/toggle switch right?

 

[Btzj02]

Think in terms of the rectangular terminal block that is just below the switch in the diagram. One screw is switched and the other screw is un-switched. In your diagram the right screw is un-switched and is always at battery voltage. The left screw is switched meaning it is only at battery voltage if the switch is switched to on. The drawing shows the lights connected to the un-switched side but until you pull the switch for the lights they will stay off. Your drawing also has the ignition, solenoid and and fuel gage connected to the switched side so the key must be in the on position before the fuel gage, starting circuit and the ignition coil see battery voltage. My personal preference is to wire accessories to the un-switched terminal screw and use a separate switch to turn the accessory on or off as needed.

 

[Sean in PA]

The "switched" side of the key switch just depends on which side is connected to the battery and therefore always hot. The other side of the switch is the "switched" side.